wrote:
My only (affordable) means to connect to the internet is to use Dialup,
(because of my location). And I have never been able to establish a
usable connection using Win XP, or even Win 2000.

Lately, since almost all websites are using httpS, I cant get Firefox or
any browser (which works with Win98), to connect properly. I get
repeated security errors all the time, as well as many script errors
with Java Script turned OFF.

I've explained a workaround for HTTPS websites before, and there are
lots that do work (more or less) with scripts disabled.

I've pretty much stopped using the web because of this, and only use the
internet to email and run the newsgroups.

Now, even my email is giving me security errors. I am using Thunderbird
2.0.0.24. I am not sure if this is the final version of TB to work in
Win98, but I have used it for decades and have never seen a reason to
upgrade it. It has always worked fine. Personally, I could care less
about security with my email. I talk to friends about cars, pets, and
general chit-chat. Nothing that needs to be secure and nothing worth
securing.

Bur lately, I get this f**king error every time I try to get my email:

"Thunderbird cant connect securely to website-archive.mozilla.org
because it uses a security protocol which isnt enabled."

First off, why is TB trying to connect to Mozilla? Yea, I know TB is one
of their products, but it appears they are trying to archive all my
emails, and there is absolutely no reason for that.

No idea, maybe for updates or add-ons. But the error is due to Mozilla
having changed the settings of that server to require a newer encryption
protocol as a minimum. Your Email server is still compatible, so if you
installed another mail client it should work as a replacement.

Usually, I have to click OK when I get that error message, then close
TB, and reopen it, to get my email. Sometimes I have to do this 5 or 10
times, before I actually get my email. Talk about annoying....

Is there any way to stop this?

I've never really used Thunderbird, but I believe it uses a similar
configuration system to about:config in firefox. You may be able to
search for the setting where the URL for website-archive.mozilla.org
is specified, then delete it, or replace it with something like:
http://127.0.0.1/

Hopefully failure to connect to the server won't prompt an error
message, whereas failure to establish a secure connection might
(it sounds stupid, but it might be the case).

If not, this may be the final straw that
broke the camel's back, and I am going to stop using the internet
entirely. I already think I am wasting my money for ISP service, when I
cant use the web anymore. The newsgroups are nearly dead, and once I
cant use email anymore, I'm done using the internet.

I still dont understand why there needs to be all this f**king security
just to read a webpage on Wikipedia or any other read-only website.
And now this.....

True, this insistence on forcing people to connect securely when there
isn't anything to be hidden is stupid. The still-visible fact that
a person connects to a certain website on a regular basis would often
prove almost equally useful to someone inclined to spy on them.

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